stretching from the rich farmlands of the borders to a chain of isles only a few degrees south of the arctic circle, the scottish landscape has a diversity without parallel in britain. the cities of glasgow and edinburgh bustle with people and offer numerous attractions. the northeast is an area rich in wildlife, and as you travel northwest, the land becomes more mountainous and its archaeological treasures more numerous. in the far northwest, in the western isles, scotland's earliest relics stand upon some of the oldest rock on earth.

　　edinburgh

　　the historic status of edinburgh, the capital of scotland, is beyond question, with ancient buildings scattered across the city, and the seat of scotland's new parliament lying close to the royal residence of holyrood palace. the astonishing range of historical and artistic attractions draws visitors from all over the world.

　　southern scotland

　　southern scotland is a blend of attractive landscapes and historic houses, castles and abbeys. sadly, many of these ancient buildings exist only in fortified or ruined form due to the frontier wars that dated from the late 13th century. the rounded hills of the borders region and the more rugged peaks of dumfires & galloway bore the brunt of this fierce conflict between scotland and england.

　　glasgow

　　glasgow displays audacity in everything, from the profile of its new buildings, such as the armadillo-like extension to the scottish exhibition and conference centre, to the presence of designer clothes shops and the wit of its people. as recently as the 1970s, this was a city with a fading industrial history and little sense of direction, but much has changed since then.

　　central scotland

　　central scotland is a contrast of picturesque countryside and major urban centres, where a modern industrialized country meets and older and wilder landscape. historically, it was here that the english-speaking lowlands bordered the gaelic highlands, and there is still a strong sense of transition for anyone travelling north.

　　the highlands and islands

　　most of the stock images of scottishness-clans and tartans, whisky and porridge, bagpipes and heather-originate in the highlands, and enrich the popular picture of scotland as a whole. but for many centuries the gaelic-speaking, cattle-raising highlanders had little in common with their southern neighbours